Effect of extracts from field and in vitro plants of Petiveria alliacea L. on plasmidial DNA

Petiveria alliacea L. is a native herbaceous species from the Amazon region traditionally used in folk medicine for its various pharmacological activities. This study aimed to perform a comparative assessment of genotoxic and antigenotoxic potential of field- and in vitro-grown plants. Specimens from different populations from Rio de Janeiro State were used as donor plants for in vitro culture on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. Aqueous extracts from field and in vitro plants were evaluated by analyzing their effect on the integrity of pUC 9.1 plasmid. DNA genotoxic potential was assessed after treatment of plasmid DNA with increasing concentrations of aqueous extracts (1.0, 5.0 to 10.0 mg/ml) from the populations studied and the in vitro plants originated from them. The electrophoretic analysis showed changes in the structural conformation of plasmid DNA, indicating the occurrence of single- and double-strand breaks caused by the extracts, demonstrating the genotoxic potential at higher concentrations. The antigenotoxic potential was assessed based on plasmid protection induced by the extracts after DNA treatment with stannous chloride. Thus, data also pointed to a antigenotoxic effect of extracts against oxidative damage. In addition, the intensity of the effect of extracts on plasmid DNA varied according to origin of plants.   Key words: Antigenotoxicity, bioactivity, DNA topology, genotoxicity, micropropagation